Dream Emmy Ballot 2015: Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama Series

I like the new rules for the guest categories, it allows short run characters, and characters who  appear in only one episode to shine brighter in these categories.  The rule change is that a person must be in less than half of the season's episodes.

There are a few actors who just make the cut off for their shows half way mark, like the strong work from David Hyde Pierce, as Frank Prady, the man from running against Alicia for States Attorney in in The Good Wife.  Julianne Nicholson started her arc as Dr. Lillian DePaul midway through last season of Masters of Sex, but it was performance this season that fleshed   out this character.  Nicholson gives one of the bravest performances of this whole Emmy season, and her work as a women fighting for her life and profession should not be ignored.  These two actors were in just about half the season.

Then you had wonderful recurring guest stars who popped up a couple times throughout a shows season like Mel Rodriguez as Jimmy's PIC (partner in crime) Marco.  Linda Lavin has also been proving her dramatic chops in theatre and in television; she was great as the by the book Joy Grubick in The Good Wife.

Shonda Rhime's shows are the master of the one shot gut punch guest performance. Courtney B. Vance was heartbreaking in the episode "The Lawn Chair" where he played Clarence Parker, a man whos; she only broke her daughter's heart. Each of these one shot guest performances present do what it takes some actors five episodes, and that's impressive!

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Scott Glenn-Daredevil
Sam Elliot-Justified 

David Hyde Pierce-The Good Wife

Mel Rodriguez-Better Call Saul

Courtney B. Vance-Scandal

Bradley Whitford-Transparent

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Linda Lavin-The Good Wife

Courtney Love-Empire

Julianne Nicholson-Masters of Sex

Diane Rigg-Game of Thrones

Lois Smith-The Americans

Cicely Tyson-How to Get Away with Murder 

Dream Emmy Ballot 2015: Outstanding Directing and Writing in a Comedy Series

Comedic television about women, and gay men (plus Louis C.K.) rule!  I have an odd feeling

 that my dream ballot for writing and directing in a Comedy series will look nothing like the Emmy nominations, but dare to dream.  

This year The Comeback made well, a comeback to HBO.  In the final episode we see Valerie Cherish get "what she really wants."  Cherish represents different aspects of women working in the industry today, and it was in this final episode we got to see every level of her humanity.  This character's journey had a perfect climax (I hope), and the last episode of the season, maybe series, was easily the best written episode of comedic television this year.

Women were represented better than ever in comedic television this year, just look at the range of great performances that could compete in Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.  Yet there was one show that represented women better any television series this year, Jane the Virgin.  Jane and its female characters represent the depth and breadth of a variety of cultures and personalities.  There are few shows with perfect first years, but but Jane is one of them.  This show's wit, and heart channel and energy that is often missing in television.  

On a closing note Parks and Recreation was the only network television show to make this list, and not many on network TV hold a candle to this series.  Network television has made a jump in quality on the dramatic  side, but many outside of CBS have left comedy in the dirt.  Network television needs to step up their game if they would like to compete.

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

The Comeback-Valerie Gets What She Really Wants -Michael Patrick King

Jane the Virgin-Chapter One-Brad Siberling

Getting On-The 7^th Annual Christmas Card Competition-Becky Martin

Looking-Looking for a Plot-Andrew Haigh

Parks and Recreation-Leslie and Ron-Beth McCarthy-Miller

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt-Kimmy Goes to a Party! – Nicole Holofcener

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

Broad City-In Heat-Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer

The Comeback-Valerie Gets What She Really Wants -Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow

Jane the Virgin-Chapter One-Jennie Snyder Urman

Louie-Bobby’s House-Louis C.K.

Parks and Recreation-Leslie and Ron-Michael Shur

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt-Kimmy Goes on a Date-Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock

Dream Emmy Ballot 2015: Outstanding Directing and Writing in a Drama Series

Breaking Bad left a void that needed to be filled, and it seems like another final season 

from an AMC show was up to the task.  While the first two or three episodes of Mad Men's final season were a bit off, the home stretch was of the best television this year.  Jared Harris played Lane Price in front of the camera for a few seasons, but it was his work off camera that began the major shift in tone for this season.  "Time & Life" ushered in the end the agency, and the beginning to closure for this show.  In the writing department Person to Person credited solely to series creator Matthew Weiner was one of the best series finales of all time with more closure than expected.  The finale drove me into the place I wanted to be when this show came to a close, their was heart, humor, and Don as a vulnerable human.  This show was a masterpiece, and these two episodes are shining examples of brilliant television.

As one show ends, many new shows found their groove, Better Call Saul (AMC), Empire (FOX), Daredevil (Netflix), The Affair (Showtime), and Transparent (Amazon).  This is the most new blood (show wise) I have included in my dream ballot since the year 24, Alias, Six Feet Under, and The Shield premiered.  Each of the new shows this year were special in their own way, but the show that struck the largest cord with me was Transparent.

Before I delve deeper into the emotionally complex show, about about a person fully realizing their identity, I will state that I consider Transparent a drama.  Like Orange is the  New Black last year, I will buck Emmy category placement, and say that Transparent has some funny moments, but in the in end it should be placed in the drama categories, but that's my person opinion.  Transparent is a brilliant show starring Jeffrey Tambor as Maura.  Tambor was born male with body parts, but over the course of his life starts to identify as a woman.  Tambor's journey as this character allows audiences to see the heartfelt struggle of coming out trans, while dealing with other aspects of life, like family, friends, work, love, and many other things.  I can't wait to continue this journey with Maura.

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

Daredevil-Daredevil-Steven S. DeKnight

Empire-Pilot-Lee Daniels
Game of Thrones-The Dance of Dragons-David Nutter

Mad Men-Time & Life-Jared Harris

Orange is the New Black-Thirsty Bird-Jodie Foster

Transparent-Pilot-Jill Solloway

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

Transparent-The Wilderness-Jill Solloway

The Americans-Stingers-Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg

The Affair-1-Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi

Mad Men-Person to Person-Matthew Weiner

Orange is the New Black-We Have Manners, We’re Polite-Jenji Kohan

The Good Wife-Oppo Research-Robert and Michelle King

2015 Daytime Emmy Ceremony Better but room for Growth Pop Network

I did not get to watch the Daytime Emmy Awards, for the first time in many years, and it felt weird.  I have not watched Soap Operas or “Daytime Dramas” in many years, but I still keep up, and like to tune in to watch, and hell I love an award show.

Last year the Daytime Emmy Awards were streaming online, but this year they ended up on Pop Network, which is the old TV Guide Channel, you remember the network that used to just tell you what was on within a small window of time, or the guide function on your remote control.  I did not get to watch the show because Pop is not something my cable provider gives me, like many.  I am glad the show was televised, but Pop refused to stream the show this year, which isolated many loyal viewers and award show fans.  Many were outraged on twitter, and here is Pop Network’s sorry response, “follow us on twitter.”  Sorry Pop, the point of an award show is to watch it, not to follow your comments, and tweets from your host from Tyra Banks.  See the comments below:

I have had to search, to find clips from winners, and it looked like Pop and the Daytime Emmy Awards put on a solid show.  It was tough to find  solid clips, I still have not been able to find Jill Farren Phelps accepting the prize when The Young and the Restless won Drama Series.  The clip I found of Chad Duell winning Supporting had no sound, which is a bummer because its his first win.  I will also gripe that there should not be a tie in Best Drama, when there are only four shows on air, and all competing, but I am happy Days of Our Lives was one of the two shows that won.

Other big moments, Anthony Geary won his 8^th Emmy, the most in Daytime history for playing Luke Spencer.  Amelia Heinle became the third women to win two Supporting Actress Emmy Awards; she won for her role as Victoria Newman etc., on The Young and the Restless.  It also looked like all the nominees showed up this year, which was nice; the majority of the winners were not there to accept the prize last year.

You will never please every fan with a telecast for an award show, but at least have the decency for fans who do not have Pop and who can’t watch the show across the Globe.  Daytime Dramas are succeeding in large part to foreign markets, shouldn’t the Academy recognize this?  You have to find a middle ground, so the fans have their moment, my suggestion is that they offer a streaming option next year, it will help a great deal.

See the full list of winners from the telecast:

Outstanding Drama Series: Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless (TIE)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Anthony Geary, General Hospital

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Maura West, General Hospital

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Chad Duell, General Hospital

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Amelia Heinle, The Young and the Restless

Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series: Freddie Smith, Days of Our Lives

Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series: Hunter King, The Young and the Restless

Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series: Donna Mills, General Hospital; Fred Willard, The Bold and the Beautiful; Ray Wise, The Young and the Restless

Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team: The Bold and the Beautiful

Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team: The Bold and the Beautiful

Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show: The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host: Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, Live! With Kelly & Michael

Outstanding Informative Talk Show: Steve Harvey

Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host: Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz and Michael Symon, The Chew

Outstanding Entertainment News Program: Entertainment Tonight

Outstanding Culinary Program: Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

Outstanding Game Show: Jeopardy!

Outstanding Game Show Host: Craig Ferguson, Celebrity Name Game

Outstanding Morning Program: CBS Sunday Morning

Outstanding Morning Program in Spanish: Un Nuevo Día

Lifetime Achievement Award: Betty White 

Hollywood Celebrates Themselves (Again) as Birdman wins Best Picture

Hollywood has a formula for winning Oscars. In his television show Extras, Ricky Gervais coached 

Kate Winslet toward her Oscar, do a movie about the Holocaust, and you will win; she did The Reader and won.  Mind you this formula still stands true as Ida won Best Foreign Language Film, but there is a new trope in town, and it proves how self congratulatory the Oscars have become.

Tonight Hollywood crowned Birdman with Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Cinematography, and the new formula to win an Oscar has become clear, make a movie about the industry, and you win an Oscar.  Over the last four years 3 of the four Best Picture winners have been about “the industry.”  The Artist was about the silent movie era. Argo was about Hollywood saving the day and rescuing hostages from Iran, but let’s be honest the Canadians were the real heroes, and Hollywood changed this to make them look better, end rant. 

Finally Birdman won last evening, which of the three is the best movie about the industry, it has some great things to say about the way super hero tent poles control things, and the way society is changing.  Birdman is not exactly bad winner, but isn’t this self-congratulatory trope getting to be a bit much?  Sadly the industry loves itself too much.

Boyhood should have won something other than Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette.  Boyhood won the Globe, and the British Academy Awards (BAFTA). In the past the Golden Globes were about kissing the biggest celebrity ass, but they snubbed Unbroken, and picked Boyhood for the Best Picture Drama, and The Grand Budapest Hotel for Best Picture Musical or Comedy. BAFTA, which usually picks British films to win their top honors picked Boyhood as Best Film, a film about a typically American experience, hell even they don’t buy into their own hype. But, it’s Hollywood, and the Oscars have to kiss their own industries ass, proving the Globes and BAFTA to be more and more relevant than the Oscars..

It’s not just about Boyhood, which was my favorite film of the year.  The Grand Budapest Hotel was robbed of Best Original Screenplay.  Wes Anderson’s film got the Hugo treatment, you were fun, and a period piece, but we still don’t like you enough to win a major award.  Grand Budapest did tie for the most wins with four, winning, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Make-Up/Hairstyling.

I know there are people who will disagree with me, there are folks who loved Birdman, I liked it.  Michael Keaton should have won last night, and the same with Edward Norton, they were the best part of the film.  The acting in general in this film was great, they deserved that SAG Ensemble prize, but not Best Picture.  Birdman breaks a big Oscar statistic too, it’s the first film to win Best Picture without a Best Editing nomination, the last film to do was Ordinary People, which beat Raging Bull, which film do we talk about more?  We will talk about Boyhood a lot longer.

I think Birdman has deep messages, there some interesting moments, which discuss the modern celebrity, but that translate to everyday life.  The film is deep, but at the core Hollywood just seemed to want to pat itself on the back, once again, and they did.